Automobile signal



J.F.ARCHER AUTOMOBILE S IGNAL Filed Sept. 10, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Slnvcul'oz July 29 1924.

J. F. ARCHER AUTOMOBILE S IGNAL Filed Sept. 10.

1923 2 Shcets-Sheet 2 as man"....................,...........:% q I W"n....nunnnunnd Patented July 29, 1924.

IT D STATES JOHN F. ARCHER, OF TRINIDAD, COLORADO.

Aaron/[outrun SIGNAL.

Application filed September 10, 1923. Serial No. 861,980.

To all whom it may 6071106741! 7 Be it known that I, JoHN F; ARCHER, acitizen of 'theUnited States, residing at Trinidad, in the county of LasAnimals and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Automobile Signals, of which the following is a-speciiication. Thisinvention relates to automobile signals for indicating changes indirection and also that the automobile is coming to a stop, and theobject of the invention is to provide for conveniently controllingsignal arms or semaphores so as to maintain them housed in a casing whennot in use and for selectively bringing them into exposed'and operativepositions in a very simple and expeditious manner. With this and otherobjects in View, the present invention consists in the combination andarrangement of parts as will be hereinafter described, illustrated inthe drawings and particularly pointed out in the claims, it of coursebeing understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and, minordetails may be made, within the scope of the claims, without departingfrom the spirit of sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.In the drawings: Figure 1 is a rear elevation of an automobile signalembodyin the features of the present invention anc shown applied to awind shield. I

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. IFigure 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the bottom portion ofthedevice. I

Figure iis a rear elevation with the back of the casing removed.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View on sides of the casing so as tomaintaln the sigthe line 55 of Figure 4. g

The operating parts of the present invention are housed within arectangular casing which is designated generally'by the referencecharacter. A, and the signal includes a plurality of signal arms orsemaphores designated B, C and D which are normally housed in an uprightpositionwithin the casing, and which are capable of being swungoutwardly andv downwardly so as to project into an exposed position in asubstantially' horizontal position as indicated. in Figure 1. Means isprovided for selectlvely bringlng the signal arms into signalingposition, and means isprovided for conveniently returning the arms intotheir nor,

mal housed positions.

The casing is mounted in convenient reach of the driver of theautomobile, and may be mounted upon a wind shield, as best indicated inFigure 1 of the, drawmgs, where in 10 designates an upright bracket bodyspaced slightlyxfrom .the back of the cas-' ing and connectedto thebottom of the latter by a suitable horizontal arm 11. Atthe. top of thebracket body there is a yoke stud or projection l l so as to rigidlyhold the casing in place; The clamp 15,may be located at any desiredosition on the wind shield and the: casing may be set at any angle onthestud or pivot 14:; V f

Within the bottom portion of the'casing there is a cross bar 18, and thesignal arms B, C and D are mounted. to swin on this crossbar. Eachsignal arm is provided near its lower end and in rear of itslongitudinal center with a sleeve or hub 19 which rota.- tably embracesthe cross bar 18, thehubs of successive signal arms being arranged inmutual engagement so as to properly space the arms. Washers may be.employed be tween these successive hubs if desired. Suit-' able spacingsleeves '20 are provided upon the cross bar 18 and disposed between theterminal signal arms and the respective nal arms in their properpositions within the casing. By mounting each si al arm oil center, asbest illustrated in igure 5, it will be understood that the normaltendency of the arm is to gravitate into a sub stantially horizontalposition, and therefore releasable means is provided for normallymaintaining the arms upright and within the casing. There isreleasableholding,

mechanism for each signal arm, and as the mechanisms are duplicates inconstruction andoperation, a description of one of them is deemedsuflicient.

The releasable holding meansvfor the sig- Abo'ut midway of.

Aset screw l? is carried bythef nal arm B is well shown inFi ure 2*andineludes Ei'suhstantially horizontal latch or detent 21 pivoted betweenits ends as at 22 upon a cross bar 23 which is suitably se;

- cured at its ends to the upright sides of the casing A. The pivotedlatch or 'detent is provided with a shoulder or pro ection 2-4shou1der'25 on the signal arm B, which in O the present en'ibodim'entformed by bending or fianging. overthe rear" edge of the signal arm, thelatter being formed f sheet metal; The pivoted latch inember scontrolled by apush rod 26 having itsv front 5 end Working through abearing opening 27 in oiie Oftlie sides of the casing and having itsinner end slidably mounted in a bearing bracket 28 carried by the crossbar 23. The pivoted latch 21 has a shank portion 29 Working in a slotSOformed in the push rod 26, and there is a suitable pivotal connecfti on31 between the part 29 and the push rod 26. A; coiled spring 32'embraces the push rod2b and bears at one end against the'rota'ry bearing28 and at its opposite enda'gainst .a shoulder 33' on the push rod.Normally the spring 32 is in its expanded coi clition' whereby. the pushrod 26 is at its outer limit and the latch 21, is held in en- 0 agenentwith the upstanding signal arm 'jBy' pushinginwardly upon theprojectingend of the push rod26, the latch 21 will be rocked out ofengagement with the sig- 'nai arm 13', and the latter Will gravitate 5and swing outwardly intothe position slig yn iiiliigur'es 1 and 2 forthe arm D.

3T0 return the signal arm t'ohits upright housed position there isprovided a yoke 34, the {cross head portion of which underlies 0 ander'i'gagz 'es the signal arm in its operative position. As best shown inFigure 5 it will be seen t-hateach side 35 01: the yoke is in the. formof an elbow to hang upon the cross bar 18 so as to stop and support thesignalarm'iiiits'substantially horizontal operative position. The rearend ofeach arm 35'is suitably secured to a rock bar36 disposed below andin rear of the cross bar 18 and suitablyfmounted in opposite sides offlie'casing. One end of'the'rock' bar 36 is provided With a crank handle37 disposed outside of the casing. AWith the signal arm in its operativeposition, the crank. handle 37 nay be employed to rock the bar36 andtliro'ughth'e yoke 34L the signal arm Willbe returned to its normalupright position. Upon releasing the crank handl'e37 the yoke will dropback to its normal position shown in Figureh of the drawings. 'It 30will of course be understood that the cross head 34 is long enough tounderlie all of the signal arms and therefore it is common to p theseveral signal arms and may be empioyeato return to the upright positionP ow Which normally engages the front side of a '5 whichever signal armmay be in its operative position. It will here be explained that Whileonly three signal arms have been illustrated, any number of arms may beem- The ignal arms may have suitable inscriptions thereon as forinstance the Word Stop as in Figure 1, and the Word Left as in Figure5-." The respective push rods 26 may be suitably indicated on theexterior of the casing as indicated in Figure l of the drawings in orderthat the driver may conveniently and selectively release the signal armsand permit them to drop into their operative positions.

It will of course be understood that the front of the casing is providedwith verticalslots B, C and D to accommodate the signal arms, therebeing one slot for each signal arm.-

For the purpose of illuminating the signal arms in their operativepositions, suitable electrice lamps 38 are mounted within the bottomportion of the casing in the outer corners thereof, the connections 39of Which extend through the bottom of the casing whereby they may beconveniently connected to the electric lighting system of theautomobile.

In order that access maybe had to the interior of the casing, the back 40 of the Gas ing is removable and is provided at its opposite i'ipriglitedges with any suitable form of slidable connection with the oppositesides of the. casing whereby it may be" drawn upwardly for removalWithout interfering with the attaching bracket 10.

What I claim is:

1. An automobile signal comprising a plurality of independent signalarms pivoted ofl center, and capable of gravitating from an uprightinoperative position into a displayed position, selective holding meansfor maintaining each arm in an upright position, each holding meansincluding a latch: member and a push device controlling" the latchmember, and a single means common to the several signal arms forreturning them from their operative positions into engagement with therespective holding means.

2. An automobile signal comprising a.

casing, a plurality of signal arms mounted otl' centerwithin the casingand adapted to gravitate into operative positions and pro jectiiig fromthe casing, selectivereleasable lit) casing, a signal arm'pivoted oflcenter and capable of gravitating from a normal upright position into anoperative position, a pivoted latch normally holding the arm in itsupright position, and a spring pressed push rod normally holding thelatch in engagement with the; arm having an actuating portion externallyof the casing.

4. An automobile signal comprising a casing, a plurality of signal armspivoted ofl center within the casing and adapted to gravitate fromupright inoperative positions into operative positions, a holding devicefor each signal arm including a latch memher, a push rod controlling thelatch memher and a spring yieldably maintaining the latch member inengagement with a signal arm, and a crank controlled yoke common to theseveral signal arms for returning the arms from their operativepositions into en-' gagement with the respective holding means.

5. An automobile signal comprising a casing, a cross bar in thelowerportion of the casing, a signal arm 'pivotally mounted ofi centerat its lower end upon the cross bar and capable of gravitating from anup right housed position to an operative position, a'substantiallyhorizontal pivoted latch normally engaging thesignal arm, asubstantially horizontal push rod movable endwise through one of thewalls of the casing and associated with the latch for controlling thesame, and a coiled spring embracing the push rod and yieldably opposingendwise movement thereof. a

6. An automobile signal comprising a casing, a cross bar in the lowerportion of the casing, a signal arm pivotally mounted off center at itslower end upon the cross bar and capable of gravitating from an uprighthoused position to an operative position, a substantially horizontalpivoted latch normally engaging the signal arm,a suba and having ashoulder engaging the ad- 7 I stantially horizontal push rod movable endwise through one of the walls of the casing and associated with thelatch for controlling the same, and a coiled spring embracing the pushrod and yieldably opposing endwise movement thereof, a rock bar disposedparallel with the cross bar and having an operating crank handle, and ayoke carried by the rock bar and underlying the sig nal arm in itsoperative position for returning the signal arm to its normal position,v the side arms of the yoke being in the form or" elbows to engage thecross bar and limit the downward movement of the yoke.

7. An automobile signal comprising a casing provided in its front with aplurality of upright slots, a cross bar mounted within 6 the lowerportion of the casing, signal arm's pivoted off center upon the crossbar and adapted to gravitate through the respective slots in the casinginto operative positions, independent holding devices for holding 6 thesignal arms in their upright positions and located one above the other,each holding means including a cross bar, a substantially horizontallatch pivoted on the cross bar jacent signal arm, a .push rod workingthrough one wall of the casing, a pivotal connection between the latchand, the push e rod, a spring yieldably maintaining the push rod at onelimit thereof, a rock bar within the lower portion of the casing andprovided with an operating handle and a yoke car-- ried by the rock barand having its cross head underlying the signal arms in their operativepositions, the cross bar consti- 8 tuting a stop to limit the downwardmovement of the yoke.

JOHN F. ARCHER.

